The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-12-19

you sit by the fire. you talk little. you sing a
little, you laugh lietle; You say, ''lreally don't
know what is the matter with me. ! never teit
50 splenIidiy in my life.' will tell what is the
matter with you. You spent only two cents
out of the ten dollars; you have contributed ono
out of twenty five hundred cheerful looks; you
have given ten. fifteen or twenty of the hve
thousand pleasant words you are gong TO
speak during the year; you have with your
own hands helped the boy with the wheelbar-
row, and you teel in body, mind and soul the
thrill of that recreation Which do you think
was the happier Col. Gardiner, who sat With
his elbow on table spread with all eXtravagant
viauds looking off at dog on the rug, saying:
How would like to change places with him; l
he the dog aud he be Col Gardiner or those
two Moravian missionaries who wanted to go
into the lazaretto for the sake Of attending the
sick, and they were told, IF you so in there,
you will never come out We never allow any
one TO come out, for he would bring the conta-
gion." Then they made their wills and Went in,
first to help the sick, aud then to die. Which
was the happier-Colone Gardiner, or the Mo
ravian missionaries dying for othersY Was n
all sacrifice when the missionaries wanted to
bring the Gospel 10 the negroes at the Barba-
does, aud, being denied the privilege, sold them.
selves into slavery, standing side by side; and
lying side by side down in the very ditch of suf
fering, in order that they might bring those
men up to life and God and heavenf oh. there
is a thrill in the joy Of doing good IL is the
most magnificent recreation to which mau
ever puts his hand or his head or his heart.
But. before closing, want TO impress upon
you that mere secular entertainments are not a
fit foundation for your soul to build on
was reading of a woman who had gone all
the rounds of sinful amusement, and she came
to die. She said, II will die tonight at
O'clock" oh" they said, Il guess not, you
and my soul will be lost. know it will he lost.
] have snned away my day of grace" The
noon came. They desired to seek religious
counsel.
oh" she said, 1T is of no use. My day is
gone. | have been all the rounds of worldly
pleasure, and 1t Is too late. shall die tonight
at O'Clock" The day wore away, and IL came
to o'clock, and TO O'Clock, and she cried out
at 5 O'Clock, destroyed spirits, We shall not
have me vet; it is not O. it is not 6!H The mo
ments went by and the shadows began TO
gather, and the clock struck g.; and while IL was
striking her soul went. What hour God will
night or o'clock this afternoon, or at O'Clock,
or at this moment Sitting where you are, fall
ing forward, or standing where you are, drop
ing down. where would you go to?
But our hour for adtourning has already
come, and the last hour of our life will soon be
here, and from that hour we will review this
days proceedings. IL will be a solemn hour.
If from our death-pillow we have TO look back
and see a life spent In sinful amusement, there
will be a dart that will strike through our soul
sharper than the dagger with which Virginius
slew his child. The memory OF the past viii
make us quake like Macbeth. The iniquities
and riotng through which we have passed will
come upon us. weird and skeleton as Meg Mer-
rifles. Death, the old Shylock, will demand,
and take, the remaining pound OF flesh and the
remaining drop OF blood; and upon our last OPP
portunity for repentance, and our last chance
for heaven, the curtain will forever drop.